Driving mechanism for washing-machines



l l. KRABEC.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION man DEc.5,1919.

l J 1 PQ l w J/ H.n\"+\.\ l||l t. V/ NJ I. KRABEC.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED 050.5. 1919.

1,357,999. Patented Nov.' 9, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I. KHABEC.

DRIVING MECHANISM FORWASHING MACHINES.

- APPLICATION FILED DEC- 5, 1919. 1,357,999, Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

aff/f Tim 5e@ JOSEPH KRABEO, or CHICAGO, YILLINOIS'.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR WASHINGr-MACHINS.

specification of Letters raient.

Patented Nev. 9,1920;

Application ledyDecernber 5, `1919. `Serial No. 342,750.

To @ZZ @07mm t may concern.'

Be it known that l, Josnrir Knanno, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Driving Mechanism for l/Vashing-ll/lachines, of which the following is a speciication-` i My invention relates todriving mechanisms for washing machinesmore particularly of the type wherein the washing element is reversible. In the design illustrated, I have shown a machine having a cylinder which rotates several times in one direction and then reverses its movement and rotates an equal number of tiniesin the Opposite direction. p `The general object of the invention is to provide safe, simpleV and sure acting means for effecting such rotation in the rotary washing element. Contributory to the general object, it is mypurpose to provide an advantageous form of mechanical movement in which a star wheel or Geneva gear is employed in association with full stroke mechanism for insuring a full shift of the reversing clutch. Another object is to provide a star wheel having crowned points whereby it will be rotated slightly backward or forward in case it is not in proper position for its driving pin to enter one of its slots. ,Another object is to provide means whereby the machine may at any time be instantly thrown into `neutral position, to stop it without waiting to stop the motor. Another object is to provide a construction inV which the operating,y

parts or mechanical movement are mounted beneath the main receptacle and are practically inclosed within a housing. Another object is to provide means for yieldingly lookino the star wheel in position to receive the driving pin. 4

I attain my objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying, drawings, in which,

Figure l is an end machine embodying myinvention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation on theirregular line 3 3, Fig. 4.

lig. 4: is a top plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 3. p l.

Fig. 5 is a view partly diagrammatic in its character showing the rock shaft which controls the clutch and the mechanism elevation of a washing which controls the rock shaft. This view is' diagrammatic in the sense'that the parts are not shown in their actual positions but rather in a'manner to illustrate `their cooperative relationship,the'rock shaft being foreshortened for the purpose.

Fig.' 6 is a lsectional detail looking toward the left, Fig. 4f, upon a plane indicated approximately by ther line `6-6, Fig. t. This view also shows the emergency clutch shifter by which vthe clutch maybe vinstantly thrown to neutral position and the machine stopped.

Fig. 7 is a sectional detail showing the f star wheel' and associated parts` and illus- 7d trating more` particularly the yieldable lock by which the wheel is heldin positionto receive the actuating pin. i y' l Like numerals 'denote like parts throughout the several views. y W l ln the form selected to illustrate the in-` vention, they washing machine has a tub or receptacle l which is U-shaped andsupported' upon a frame 2. "A cylinderV 8 is; journaled within the receptacleso as to rotate about a horizontal axis. One of theV gudgeons @-4, by which the cylinder is supported, `is provided with a sprocket wheel for driving it. 4The sprocket is. driven by a chain 6 driven from` another sprocket 7 located inthe present case in a housing 8' `carried by the mainframe beneath the receptacle l. Sprocket T is rigidly secured to a jack shaft 10 j ournaled in stationary bearings 11 best shown in Fig. Rigidly fastened to said jack shaft is a bevel gear wheel 12 which Vforms part of the transmission. '.llhe main power shaft 15 is arranged at right angles to the anis ofbevel gear l2 and is `journaled in stationary4 bear-` ings 16, 16. Said shalt is driven by any suitable power device, for example, a motor 18 having a worm 19 meshingwith a worm,y gear 20, fastened on the shaft. mounted on shaft` l5 are two bevel gearsl'oo 22, 23; These are rotatable independently of. the shaft and of each other but are fixed, against movementy in an axialV direction. They are both permanently in meshwith the bevel gear l2. `Locatedbetween the gears 22 and 23 on shaft l5 is a clutch 25j which is slidable and is adapted to engage. their hubs 24, 26 alternately. The shaft.v has ,a `spline 27 which permits the `clutch to slide but compels it to rotate in unison Loosely ma i with the shaft. Hubs 24, 26 are far enough apart to permit the clutch to occupy a neutral position out of engagement with either of them. either` one of itsextreme positions it'will drive rthe engaged bevel gear andA rotate the bevel gear 12in one direction or the other in the manner well known in comico-- tion with reversible transmissions.

Clutch is shifted by means of a fork 30 fastened to a slide rod 31 mounted in stationary bearingsv 32. Said rod is subject to the actions of two mechanisms-one the emergencythrowout, and the other the reversing mechanism which acts under normal running conditions to rotate the cylinderrst 4one way andthen the other. will first describeV the emergency mechanism,

which includes a tl-shaped block rigidly fastened'to one end of the slide rod 3l, as

best shown at the left end of Fig. 4. .The acting faces of this block form cams adapt- Y ed to coperate with a neutralizing bar 38,

' pin o r pivot. A star wheel 63 is also mountone end of which is slidably supported in a stationary bracket 39. The parts are so formed that when bar 38 is pushed toward the block, it will shift thev latterto neutral position and lock itthere thus causing the slide rod 3l to bring the clutch 25 to neutral, non-acting position to stop the machine. .Bar 38 is actuated by an arm 41 rigidly fastened to a rock shaft 42 as best shown in Fig. 6 and the left lower corner of Fig. 4. This rock shaft is journaled in a stationary bearing 45 and operated by Van emergency lever 46 located outside the machinel as shown at thelower left corner Yof Fig. 1. This lever is within easy reach of the operator at all times, and by rotating it, the operator can instantly bring the machine toa standstill.

Now referring to the automatic means for controlling the 'slide rod 31, block 35 isrpivotally connected to the free end of rocker arm 50 rigidly fastened to a rock shaft 5l.

This shaft is ournaled in stationary bearing 52,52 and 'has a rocker arm 55 rigidly fastened toit. The free end of arm 55 is longitudinally slotted to receive a pin 56 extending from the side of a reversing arm 57. This arm is loosely mounted upon a shouldered screw pin 60 screwing into.,a stationary bracket 61 as shown in sectional detail in Fig. 7. In the bestconstruction this reversing arm extends in both directions from its supporting v ed on pin 60 at the side of arm 57 and it also is loosely mounted. The result is that arm 57 and'wheel63 are rotatable independently of Veach other, but are held against movement in an axial direction. ,"Wheel 63 has a f pin 64 extendingfrom its sidein positionto Y engage arm 57 at a point on the opposite side of the pivot from pin 56, Y Y

Said'wheel 63 has certain of thev characlWhen the clutch is shifted toV teristics of the well known Geneva gear for,

producing intermittent rotary movement.

f about shaft l() in unison with bevel gear l2, Vthe pin 69 will enter one slot after the other,

each time imparting'a partial rotary movement to the star wheel. It will be understood, of course, that the number of slots in the wheel maybe varied to correspond to the number of times it is desired to have the cylinder rotate before reversing.

ln order to prevent the machine from wrecking itself in case the star wheel should be rotated when the pin 69 is out ofY engagement with it, the points of the star wheel are crowned in the manner illustrated inFigs. 3 and 5, the result being that if the star wheel is not accurately positioned to receive the pin, the pin upon approaching Vit will strike one side or the other of the peak of a crown and rotate the wheel Vbackward or kforward sufficiently to enable thefpin to enter a slot.

The star whe'elis provided with means for yieldingly holding it in the position in which it is left by the pin` 69, thus presenting the a ball catch as shown in Fig. 5 and in section in Fig. 7 On the sideof the wheel are shallow pockets 75 arranged in a circle concentric with the wheel, one for everyslot in it. A ball 76 is mounted in a chamber formed in the bracket 6l and is backed up by a helical compression spring 77. This spring is backed up by a screw plug 78. If pressure is exerted on'the wheel, to rotate it, the ball will be pushed back, and the wheel may be rotated, but otherwise will hold its position. Means 'are also provided for insuring a full stroke or shifting movement of the clutch 25. Secured to the rock shaft 51 is an arm 8O carrying an antifriction roller 81 at its free end. This is adapted to be engaged .by a yieldable latching element here shown in the form of a plunger 83having a wedge shaped nose. The plunger is slidingly mounted in a stationary cylinder 84 shown in section in Fig. 5. A ,screw plug 85 screws into the rear end of said cylinder and. backs up a helical compression spring` 86 which in turn backs upthe plunger. The Y result is that the nose 'of the plunger always tends to throw the arm '80 completely to one retracted position, asshown in Fig. 4. This leaves the slide rod 31 free to move to shift the clutch 25 into alternate engagement with the hubs of the bevel gears 22, 23. When it is desired to start up the machine, the motor 18 is started which impartsa continuous rotary movement to the shaft 15 and clutch 25. If, at the start, wheel 63 is in proper position, pin 69 will enter directly into one ofthe slots of the star wheel 63 and give it a partial rotation. If the wheel is not accurately positioned," the pin will strike the crown of one of its points which will push the wheel quickly forward or backward until one of the slots comes opposite the pin and admits it. The advantage of this construction is that it preventsA dam- .age to the mechanism in case the star wheel should be out of position, either due to the handling of the machine by a person un- `familiar with its principle of operation or as a result of operating the emergency lever; f Ordinarily, however, the ball latch 76 will hold the star wheel in proper angular position. As the drive pin rotates, it imparts a step by step movement to the star wheel and pin 64 and finally causes the pin 64 to actuate the arm 57. On account of the presence of the quick throw or full stroke mechanism comprising the plunger 83 and associated parts, it is not necessary for pin 64 to move arm 57 far enough to complete the shifting of the clutch. As soon as the i'ock shaft 51 has been rotated slightly more than half of its full angular movement, said full stroke mechanism acts and completes the movement necessary to completely shift the clutch. After the shifting movement of the clutch has been completed, said mechanism will yieldingly latch the clutch in acting position. Ordinarily, the machine will be stopped by simply turning olf the current from the motor, but in case of an emergency, the machine can be instantly stopped by throwing the emergency lever 46. This thrusts the bar 38 toward the block 35 and shifts the clutch to neutral position and holds it there.

It will be noted that according to my design the gearingV is practically all located beneath the main receptacle 1, thus not only improving the appearance, but also promoting safety, for the gear parts are so protected that it would be practically impossible for external objects, such as the cloth- Y ing of the operator, to become caught in any part of the gearing.

In the preferred design, the wringer 90 is driven through suitable gearing from a wringer shaft 94 which, in turn, is driven by suitable gearing from the shaft 15. As best shown in Figs. 1 and 2, this wringer shaft is located within the framework of lie machine which thus Jforms a housing or it.

Tfr".

Having thus described invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letmovement to said pin along its circular path,

and full stroke mechanism also connected to said clutch for completing its shifting movement, said pin making Oneway engagement with said reversingarin whereby the arm may leave the pin to thereby afford free operation of the full strokemechanism.

2. A 'reversing gearing having a shiitable reversing clutch, la pivoted reversing arm connected te said clutch for shiftingit, a wheel coaxial with said arm and rotatable independently thereof, means for imparting a step by stepfrotary movement to said wheel, a driving-pin on said wheel Iin position to actua-te said reversing arm, and full stroke mechanism also connected to said clutch for completing its shifting movement, said pin making oneway engagement with said reversing arm whereby the arm may leave the pin to afford free movement to the full stroke mechanism.

3. A reversing gearing having a shiftable reversing clutch, a rotatable reversing arm connected to said clutch for shifting it, a

star `wheel for actuating said arm, saidwheel being coaxial with said arm and rotatable independently thereof, means for imparting a step by step rotation to said wheel, a driving pin mounted eccentrically on the star wheel for driving 'said arm, full stroke mechanism also connected to said clutch for completing its shifting movement, said pin making oneway engagement with said reversing arm, and means for yieldingly holding said star wheel against accidental movement during its periods of rest.

5. Reversing gearing having a shiftable reversing clutch, an arm for shifting said clutch, a star wheel adapted to control said arm, said star wheel having radial slots in the periphery, an actuating pin traveling in :for actuating it, said pin being adapted to approach said wheel fromthe side thereof to Y enter the slots one after another for imparting a step by step rotary movement to the wheel,V the points of said wheel being crowned to thereby cause the Wheel to be rotated slightly forward or backward by the pin in case no one of the slots is in posi- Y tion tobe entered by the pin.

6. Reversing'gearing having a reversible bevel gear having a pin located at one side of the axis, a reversible star wheel having slots adapted to be entered by said pin to refceive a step by step movement `from it7 a reversing arm adapted to oscillate about the` produced axis of the `star wheel, said star wheel having a projection adapted to engage the reversing arm on two different sides alternately, a drive shaft, a clutch slidable thereon, and bevel gears in mesh with oppo-' site sides of the first mentioned beveled gear and adapted to'be engaged alternately by said clutch, said clutch being connected to and operated by Said reversing arm.

y 7. Reversing'gearing having a reversible bevel gear having a pin located at one side of the axis, a reversible star wheel having slots adapted to be entered by said pin to Vreceive a step by step movement from it7 a of, said star wheel making Oneway engage. Y

ment with said arm to thereby afford freedom of action .to the fullstrolte mechanism.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto sub-A scribed my name. y e

\ `JOSEPH KRABEC. l 

